Things Unsaid
by flipomatic
Summary: A quiet moment, a needed conversation, a step towards understanding, a series of things previously left unsaid. KuroMaya ep 10 spoilers.


Author Note: What is even happening right now am I dead?

* * *

When Claudine closed her eyes she could still hear the sound of Maya's cape fluttering to the floor, the button that so neatly held it in place bouncing with an echoing ping. She could hear her own desperate voice bounce off the cavernous walls, her desperate pleas for Maya to be able to continue reverberating loudly. The sound of Maya speaking French, when had Maya even learned French, wouldn't leave her mind.

The rest of the evening had been a blur, and honestly Claudine felt exhausted. She retreated back to her room immediately after the action ended; not to avoid the others but because she was tired. Once the door was shut, Claudine collapsed face down on her bed with her forehead on her arms, eyes shut to the earlier events.

Though she didn't look, that didn't stop her from remembering the warmth of Maya's hand in hers and her embarrassment when she saw the others watching in the audience. Kaoruko would never let her live this one down she thought, letting out a deep sigh.

A knock came at the door, startling Claudine out of her thoughts. Three short raps at 130 bpm. There was only one person who knocked like that; one person would dare disturb her after the day she'd had. No one other than her would have the sheer gall to open the door before getting a response.

"Are you okay?" Claudine didn't look up, but she could hear Maya's soft footsteps to the left as she entered the room.

"I'm fine, and would like to be left alone." Claudine responded without moving. To see Maya's face after crying in front of everyone earlier would be too much.

"I was worried when you vanished, but you seem to be alright." The door made a small click as it shut, followed by the lights turning on and Maya's voice getting closer. "Do you have some time to talk?"

"Just leave me alone." One hand flicked in Maya's direction should've been enough to get rid of her. It wasn't.

"I can't." Maya's voice, already low, dropped further.

Claudine turned her head towards Maya, finally opening her eyes to squint against the light. The other teen stood barely a foot from the bed, mouth set in a firm line.

"What do you mean?" Claudine asked, straining her neck so she could lock her eyes on Maya's.

"You're my partner. No matter what, I won't leave you alone."

Claudine sat up, dangling her legs off the bed and crossing her arms over her chest. "So you came here, late at night, to do what exactly?" Maya must've taken this as an invitation, since she sat down on the bed to Claudine's right.

"After today, I'm tired of leaving things unsaid." Maya was positioned only a few inches away. "Will you listen?"

She had just moments ago been asking Maya to leave, but now that she could see Maya's face Claudine couldn't possibly turn her down. "What a disagreeable girl." She muttered before conceding. "Fine, I'll listen."

"I've always wanted to tell you this, but the time was never right." Maya turned her body towards Claudine, their knees almost touching. "When I was ten, I saw one of your performances as Carrie."

What? Maya had seen her perform? "I'm shocked." Were the only words Claudine could find.

"You were phenomenal." Maya smiled softly. "That was when I started learning French. My father said, if that girl can speak two languages then you will speak three." She lifted one finger to her lip as if to imitate a moustache, pitching her voice down for the impression. She played it off as a joke, but it didn't sound that funny.

"Three languages?" Claudine said incredulously. "What's the third?"

Maya's lips tightened minutely. "Spanish, but it's my weakest one." She paused for a moment, eyes flicking off to the side. "That's a story for another time." Her gaze returned to Claudine. "So when we met for the first time, you said earlier today that you knew who I was. Well, I knew who you were too." Now Maya was smirking, that same little smirk she wore when she bested Claudine.

Wait one second, there was something else. "And you could speak French, which you never told me about. Oh my god." She's said so many things in French over the last year, personal things and embarrassing things. "You speak French."

"You're cute when you speak French too." Maya's eyes almost glinted.

Claudine buried her face in her hands. "Oh my god." Her cheeks felt hot.

"When I first saw you dance, during the audition, I thought, this girl is something special." Maya pushed on despite Claudine's embarrassment, her expression softening into a genuine smile. "Do you remember when you declared you wouldn't lose?" Claudine looked up as Maya spoke, returning her hands to her lap. "You shined so bright that day I had to put in extra practice just to keep up."

"I remember." Claudine said quietly.

"I didn't lie when I said I'd be jealous if someone else became the top star; that would mean losing my precious partner." Maya's gaze intensified, and Claudine could almost feel the tension in the room tick up a notch.

Claudine cleared her throat. "Well, If I had beaten you we still would've been partners." She said with one eyebrow raised.

"That's what made your challenge so much fun." Maya looked so happy Claudine almost caught herself smiling back. She looked away abruptly, taking a deep breath to fight the jitters she was suddenly feeling. Then the battle from earlier came back to her.

"We both lost today." Claudine said with a sigh.

Maya shook her head. "I still say we won, after all we're having this conversation now." She leaned towards Claudine slightly.

Claudine jerked her head back towards Maya. "I…" There were saying things that they normally wouldn't, right? Things that would normally go unsaid? She gathered herself. "I thought it was all over for us, when Karen cut your rope." After all, if Maya was no longer top star what would that make Claudine? What would it mean for them?

"You surprised me." Maya admitted. "Why did you forfeit?" She asked slowly, as if worried about spooking Claudine. What a foolish sentiment.

"It was my error. If I had thrown the sword higher you would've gotten her. I should've been the one to lose, not you." Even though Maya talked her out of it at the time, Claudine couldn't help the way she felt about it; the loss was all her fault. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm honored that you think so highly of me."

"Don't be." Claudine flushed at the words. "You earn all of the praise you get."

"So do you." Maya returned the compliment smoothly.

"Well." Claudine couldn't help but smile and be drawn in by her rival's charisma. "I guess we're at a stalemate then."

Claudine leaned towards Maya, breaking eye contact and resting her shoulder against the taller girl. "Since we're tied right now, if you won't leave at least let me sleep."

"The lights are still on." Maya reminded her gently.

Claudine didn't care. "I'll get them later."

"Very well."

Maya smelled faintly of sweat, probably from the earlier fighting. Claudine allowed her head to rest all the way on her shoulder, relishing the firmness. One of Mayas hands came up behind Claudine's back, settling on her side and pulling her closer. As Claudine drifted off to sleep, warmly pressed against Maya's side, she thought she heard one last thing.

"Sweet dreams, ma moitié"


End file.
